This year’s VI-grade Zero Prototypes Summit (ZPS), held May 14-16 at the company’s SimCenter in Udine, Italy, was a resounding success. For 2024, a central focus was the supplier’s newly launched multi-attribute driving simulator – the Driver-in-Motion Full Spectrum Simulator – which enables vehicle dynamics, NVH and ride and comfort analysis to be performed in one simulator. This one-of-a-kind capability opens up new possibilities in the realm of vehicle development.
The event achieved record attendance with 300 in-person participants, and over 900 virtual attendees via LinkedIn and SAE’s live-streamed webinar platform, marking the largest gathering to date for VI-grade’s global driving simulation community.
ATTI’s highlights at the summit include: Mercedes-AMG’s presentation delivered by Maximilian Eberle and Alessandro Porro, who discussed the OEM’s virtual vehicle and tire initiative for digital control systems development; Mario Mautone and Cesare Lupo Ferrari’s talk on Lamborghini’s application of digital twins in NVH testing; Lennart Mesters’ talk on prototyping of vehicle steering in the simulator at Mercedes-Benz; and Charlie Smith’s presentation on Bentley Motors’ virtual engineering drive.
VI-grade’s managing director, Guido Bairati, said at the ZPS, “Our focus over the last three to four years has been supporting customers in winning the ‘zero prototypes’ challenge. In doing so, this year the focus [of the ZPS] was the multi-attribute approach.”
Over the span of three days, 25 keynotes and technical presentations were delivered by major auto makers and Tier 1 suppliers. They delved into the prominent challenges of adopting driver-in-the-loop technology in automotive analysis, while also highlighting success stories.
EDAG Group showcased its brand-new Zero Prototype Lab in Wolfsburg, Germany, set to launch at the start of June. It will feature the world’s first DiM 500, alongside two other driving simulators. This groundbreaking facility aims to significantly decrease the number of early prototypes needed for projects.
Jonas Grötzinger, senior expert vehicle motion, said, “We hope to eliminate the first mule phase completely and reduce the first prototype phase by 50%. Both simulators, the DiM 500 FSS and the Compact FSS, are in the same facility so we will be able to build a model, do our handling testing, immediately get into the next simulator, do our NVH testing, and then the next, which is a unique capability in the world.”
Jean Paul Warmerdam, global engineering manager at Moog, discussed the company’s motion compensation software that employs advanced algorithms and motion sensors to marry real and virtual elements to reduce motion sickness when using virtual reality in combination with the simulator. Based on OpenXR technology, the solution is applied in Varjo virtual reality headsets that are deployed in VI-grade’s driving simulators.
Warmerdam commented, “It is only in the last two years or so that virtual reality technology has become advanced enough to apply in the driving simulator world, with low latency and high-quality image capability. The idea behind the motion compensation software is rather simple. However, doing the calculations is tough because it’s not a straightforward mathematical calculation.”
Warmerdam highlighted that the software approach to motion compensation eliminates the necessity for costly optical equipment.
Moog was also an exhibitor at the ZPS, and Warmerdam noted that it proved to be a fruitful event for the team, which was particularly intrigued by VI-grade’s haptic feedback in mixed reality. “That’s an area we’re actively exploring as well; the exchange of ideas and experiences at the event was invaluable for both parties,” Warmerdam said.
Among the attendees were executives from CAE Value, a Swedish specialist in multibody dynamics, renowned for collaborations with industry giants like Volvo. As a VI-grade equipment reseller, the company boasts extensive experience in implementing VI-grade’s solutions. CEO Johnny Engstrom remarked, “The summit was highly productive. It provided excellent networking opportunities and allowed us to explore the latest offerings firsthand. Experiencing the product in action goes beyond just viewing a PowerPoint presentation.”
Bentley’s Smith, who works on the virtual vehicle team (EG/PV), said of the ZPS, “Although I had no doubts it would be just as great as the 2023 edition, the team delivered yet another truly fascinating event that ran like clockwork. I was overwhelmed by the time I got back with all the exciting conversations over the course of the week.”
More on Bentley’s driving simulator here.
Visitors were also able to experience a multitude of demonstrations of the company’s cutting-edge driving simulation technology, and a brand-new motorcycle-focused user group session homed in on VI-grade’s VI-Motorcycle technology.
VI-grade’s Bairati said, “Our sponsors continue to support us from one event to the next, highlighting the fact that we are facilitating connections and networking opportunities for them.”
Stay tuned for more insights from the Zero Prototypes Summit in the upcoming September issue of ATTI. This will include a feature highlighting the current state of driving simulators, as well as a detailed examination of the Mercedes-AMG and Lamborghini case studies presented at the ZPS.